2 Degrees Of Alie

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with the very funny Raphael Bob-Waksberg. His credits include The Exquisite Corpse Project and Olde English Comedy: Sketch Pilot and he's the creator of the hilarious new Netflix series BoJack Horseman. We talk about everything from Boy Meets World to being voted class clown to the inspiration for BoJack. RAPHAEL BOB-WAKSBERG'S BIO Raphael is the creator and executive producer of the new Netflix series BoJack Horseman. He was a founding member of the comedy group Olde English, whose viral videos appeared on Good Morning America, MSNBC, and Entertainment Weekly's Must List, and who performed to sold-out crowds at the HBO Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen and the San Francisco Sketchfest. Raphael co-wrote and appeared in the film The Exquisite Corpse Project, and wrote on a few TV shows that didn't last very long.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with the multi-talented and kickass Steven Ho, whose credits include: "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," "Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End," Conan," "Mortal Kombat," "Soundman," and "The Departed," just to name a few. We talk about everything from Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots to being discovered by Jet Li to the surprising weight of a ninja turtle half shell. STEVEN HO’S BIO Steven Ho was born in Indonesia, where his father taught at the University in Jakarta. At age four, his family immigrated to Los Angeles as political refugees. Ho began his formal martial arts training in Orange County as an adolescent, and excelled in Southern California’s very competitive karate circuit. Shortly out of high school and at his first National tournament, Ho was spotted by Jet Li and recruited into the stunt business. Known as one of the first martial arts tricksters in open competitions (NASKA), Ho helped to popularize the 540 kick and the Hawkeye Kick in the mid-eighties a

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with writer/producer Andrew Weinberg whose credits include: "Late Night With Conan O'Brien," "Eagleheart," "The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien" and "Nathan For You." We talk about everything from affecting politics in Finland to literally hanging overhead on "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" to working with Chris Elliott. ANDREW WEINBERG'S BIO Andrew Weinberg was a staff writer for Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien for a combined 9+ years. Most recently, he was a co-creator/writer/executive producer of Eagleheart starring Chris Elliott, which just completed its award-eligible third season on [adult swim]. He is a graduate of both high school and college.

I will be back soon with more fun interviews. In the meantime, my LA listeners should check out the 2nd Annual LA Scripted Comedy Fest at IO West this month. I'll be teaching a class on January 23.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with the very funny and talented Alison Becker. Her credits include: "Parks and Recreation," "Mayne Street," "The Newsroom," "The League," and "The Colbert Report," just to name a few. We talk about everything from playing a detective on several versions of "Law And Order" to apple boxes to how delightful it is to work with Amy Poehler. ALISON BECKER'S BIO Alison Becker is a comedian who plays Shauna-Malwae Tweep on NBC's Parks and Recreation. She can be seen as Sarah Morton in the Emmy-nominated ESPN webseries, Mayne Street, and she played Becky on the IFC improvised comedy Z Rock. Alison has also guest starred on FX's The League, Showtime's Californication, CBS's Rules of Engagement, NBC's Law and Order: SVU, and had a recurring role on Law and Order: Criminal Intent. She has appeared in sketches for Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Pete Holmes Show, Human Giant, The Colbert Report, Kroll Show and Nick Swardson's Pretend Time. Recently, Alison played opposi

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with the very talented Maggie Kiley ("Brightest Star," "Some Boys Don't Leave," "We Own The Night," "All Good Things"). I first met Maggie at the Austin Film Festival, where her directorial feature debut, "Brightest Star," was premiering. Her feature film was inspired by her short film "Some Boys Don't Leave," which was a number one selling short film on iTunes. We talk about everything from her beginnings in backyard performances to taking part in AFI's prestigious Directing Workshop For Women to directing her first feature two months after giving birth to her second child. BRIGHTEST STAR will be screening in theaters and digitally starting January 31. MAGGIE KILEY'S BIO Filmmaker and actress Maggie Kiley most recently directed and co-wrote the feature film BRIGHTEST STAR which was inspired by her award winning short film SOME BOYS DON’T LEAVE.  As a recipient of the Panavision New Filmmaker Grant, BRIGHTEST STAR was shot on 35mm in New York City and stars Ch

You can find my podcast with Writer/Producer Andy Bobrow here. In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with the very funny Andy Bobrow. Besides being a guy who knows how to play the tuba (yes, the tuba), Andy is also very talented when it comes to writing comedy. His TV credits include: "Community," "Malcolm In The Middle," "Save Me," and "Sons of Tucson." We talk about everything from writing ads for Nissan to performing with the Groundlings to working on "Community." ANDY BOBROW'S BIO Andy Bobrow began his television writing career on the hit Fox show “Malcolm in the Middle,” and worked most recently as a writer and Co-Executive Producer on the critically acclaimed NBC cult phenomenon “Community.” Other credits include ABC’s “Samantha Who,” Fox’s “Sons of Tucson,” and several other pilots and shows now lost to the scrap heap of tv history. Andy began his writing career in advertising, and is an alumnus of the Groundling Theater Sunday Company.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with writer/director Sanjeev Sirpal ("Screw Cupid," "iHeart," "Lovepocalypse,"). You can currently find one of his films, "Screw Cupid," on Sundance, IFC and Amazon. We talk about everything from writing about dirty cops to surviving working at an agency to directing an independent feature. SANJEEV SIRPAL'S BIO Sanjeev Sirpal, like 90 percent of all first generation Indian-Americans, was born near Chicago, IL and was immediately accepted into med-school. The details of his upbringing in sunny South Florida are captivating and poetic and were adapted into a series of successful films starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. Since watching Back To The Future at an early age, Sanjeev always knew that he wanted to make movies, and drive a Delorean, and he has been obsessed with them (movies that is, Deloreans turn like they're underwater) ever since. He cannot ever remember where he parked but he can quote Spaceballs from start to finish. He broke up with a girlfrien

In this podcast, I have the pleasure of sitting down and chatting with Darryl Gudmundson. If you've ever laughed while watching a video on Funny Or Die, you probably owe that laugh to Darryl who serves as the Director of Digital Programming for the comedy site. We talk about everything from having Michael Shannon read a sorority girl's letter to Cat Video Festivals to meeting Will Ferrell.  DARRYL GUDMUNSON'S BIO Darryl Gudmundson is the Director of Digital Programming at Funny Or Die, where he oversees and curates FunnyOrDie.com. He also assists in the production of anywhere from 25-50 videos a month and is also a contributing producer of Funny Or Die's digital magazine, The Occasional. He can't be president because he was born in Costa Rica, he is a graduate of Ithaca College, currently resides in Los Angeles, loves the internet, music, taking pictures and high fiving.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with showrunner/writer/producer/actor Dave Finkel. Dave is a hilarious guy whose many TV credits include: "New Girl," "30 Rock," "Pinky And The Brain,"  "Animaniacs," "Just Shoot Me" and "United States Of Tara," just to name a few. We talk about everything from performing nude on stage to making the transition from animation to sitcoms to what goes into running a hit show like "New Girl." DAVE FINKEL'S BIO Emmy Award-winning writer and producer Dave Finkel is a native of Los Angeles, but after a series of aborted college tries, he ended up at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in the Experimental Theater Wing (from which he also dropped out). After meandering around New York for several years, trying his hand at several things and just wasting everyone’s time and energy, he eventually dragged himself back to Los Angeles, hat in hand, where he made his way to the ACME Comedy Theater. There, he met his writing and producing partner, Brett Baer. Soo

You can find my podcast with Screenwriter/Producer/Director Daniel Petrie Jr. here. In this episode, I have the honor of chatting with screenwriter/producer/director Daniel Petrie Jr. ("Beverly Hills Cop," "Big Easy," "Shoot To Kill," "Turner & Hooch," "About Cherry," "The 6th Day," "Dawn Patrol"). He's worked with actors such as Eddie Murphy, Tom Hanks, Dennis Quaid, Ellen Barkin, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sidney Poitier. We talk about everything from starting out in the mailroom at ICM to how the script for "Beverly Hills Cop" was developed to what goes into directing an action scene with multiple helicopters. DANIEL PETRIE JR.'S BIO Screenwriter, producer and director Daniel Petrie, Jr. was nominated for an Academy Award for his first produced script, the box-office hit Beverly Hills Cop, starring Eddie Murphy. Next came Petrie’s original screenplay of the romantic thriller The Big Easy, starring Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin. Petrie then served as producer of the thriller Shoot to Kill, starring Sid

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with re-recording mixer Larry Benjamin, whose credits include: "The Good Wife," "Swingers," "Bones," "CSI," "NCIS," "Gossip Girl," "Foo Fighters, Back And Forth," "Babylon 5," just to name a few. If you're looking for a sound guru, Larry's your man. We talk about everything from creating a cable Bingo show as a kid to working for Dick Clark to mixing a documentary for the Foo Fighters. LARRY BENJAMIN'S BIO My name is Larry Benjamin, I come from a suburb of Boston.  I've always had an interest in sound and used to bounce sounds between two cassette recorders when I was a kid.  We did radio shows with sound effects and music.  I've always played keyboards and was in various bands in high school.  My interest in sound and picture grew went off to Emerson College in Boston.  I worked at the campus radio stations and cut together audio for the clips used in our school's local comedy troops.  After college I moved to LA and started in the biz as a runner delivering

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with producer/director David Lincoln ("Reno 911," “Reno 911 Miami," "Hell Baby," “Balls Of Fury," “The Hunger Pains," “Funny Or Die Presents"). David worked his way up from set PA to producer on the show “Reno 911" and has been heavily involved in bringing more laughter to the world since. We talk about everything from slating on “Buffy The Vampire Slayer" to directing for Funny Or Die to being complimented by Robin Williams for a very particular performance. DAVID LINCOLN’S BIO David Lincoln is a producer and director with very serious eyebrows. Born in Manhattan and raised in the San Fernando Valley, he studied at Hampshire College and taught English in Toyama, Japan, before returning to Los Angeles for a career in film and television.  He is producing partner to Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant and has worked with them for almost a decade on projects such as the Comedy Central series Reno 911!, Focus Features’ Balls of Fury, and the Fox film Reno 911!:M

In this episode, I have the immense pleasure of chatting with the very talented writer/producer Jane Espenson. Jane’s name tends to pop up in the credits of a large number of my favorite television shows. Her many credits include "Once Upon A Time," “Battlestar Gallactica," "Husbands," "Game Of Thrones," and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer," just to name a few. We talk about everything from writing for Snow White to working with Joss Whedon to co-writing an award winning online sitcom about a married same-sex couple. JANE ESPENSON BIO’S  Jane Espenson created the award-winning online comedy Husbands with her producing partner Brad Bell. She is also known for her work as a writer/producer of shows including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly,The O.C., Gilmore Girls, Battlestar Galactica, and Game of Thrones among other series.She is currently proud to be writing for ABC’s Once Upon A Timeas well as for it’s spin-off, Once Upon A Time in Wonderland, while producing new episodes of Husbands with Bell for The CW

In this episode, I get to chat with the very funny John Levenstein. John is an Emmy-winning comedy writer whose credits include: Kroll Show, Arrested Development, Portlandia, The John Larroquette Show and The Life And Times Of Tim. He also plays a judge on Kroll Show and voices John the Rat on Portlandia. We talk about everything from how an economics major gets into comedy to Emmy parties to writing for Michael Cera.  JOHN LEVENSTEIN'S BIO John Levenstein graduated from Yale in 1981 and has been a professional comedy writer since then. In the 1980s, he wrote screenplays for Paramount, MGM, Warner Brothers and other studios, along with sketch comedy and music videos for Michael Nesmith. His work with Nesmith culminated in the NBC show “Television Parts,” featuring Jerry Seinfeld, Garry Shandling, Whoopi Goldberg, Jay Leno, Arsenio Hall, Bobcat Goldthwaite and many more.   Starting in the 1990s, he mainly wrote half-hour comedies, including "The John Larroquette Show," "The Secret Lives of Men," and "Arrested

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with the very funny Fred Stoller ("Fred & Vinnie," "Seinfeld," "Friends," "Everybody Loves Raymond,""The Penguins of Madagascar," "Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide"). Fred has guest starred on many a TV sitcom, so he's probably found his way into your living room on numerous occasions. He's a character actor who describes the characters he plays as usually "the guy who just misses or is off." He also wrote on "Seinfeld," and used that experience to write a Kindle Single called "My Seinfeld Year." Fred also used his own life experiences as inspiration for the feature film "Fred and Vinnie," which played at Slamdance and The Austin Film Festival. And now he also has a new book out entitled: "Maybe We'll Have You Back: The Life Of A Perennial TV Guest Star." Fred and I talk about everything from having Larry David ask to read his spec script to winning the Audience Award at The Austin Film Festival to having Dick Van Dyke follow him on Twitter.   The

In this episode, I have the immense pleasure of chatting with the very hilarious Deon Cole (“Deon Cole’s Black Box,” “Conan,” “Barbershop” 1st Amendment Standup,” “Def Comedy Jam”). You may have seen Deon performing standup all over the country or on TV. Or you’ve probably seen him in countless hilarious sketches on “Conan.” He was also recently the narrator of “Stories From The Road to Freedom” on the History Channel. And starting June 10, you can see Deon in his own brand new show “Deon Cole’s Black Box” on TBS. We talk about everything from his early days doing standup in Chicago to his love for “Star Wars” to touring with Def Jam. DEON COLE’S BIO Deon Cole is originally from the south side of Chicago.  Deon’s charismatic personality and original style make him one of the most popular performers in the comedy scene today.  As a standup, he has been featured on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, for Comedy Central he’s been featured on, John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show and Laffapalooza, Mash Ups and

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with actress/comedian/YouTube star Angelina Spicer, whose credits include: "Sketchy," "Tosh.0," "Electric Spoofaloo," and "Conan." You can see Angelina in the standup special "Standup & Deliver" on Jennifer Lopez's new network NuvoTV on May 21 at 10pm. We talk about everything from doing a Tyra Banks impression to playing Snow Black to talking on the phone with Spike Lee as a kid. ANGELINA SPICER'S BIO A Brooklyn native, Angelina is the eldest daughter of hip-hop pioneer Jimmy Spicer. As a comedic actress, Angelina has built a substantial online presence with her portrayal of Tyra Banks, Beyonce and Nicki Minaj on the Disney's Web series Electric Spoofaloo. Some of her work has been featured on The Huffington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The Hollywood Reporter. As a Stand up Comedian, Angelina has performed at The Hollywood Improv, The World Famous Comedy Store, Gotham Comedy Club and won the Fresh Faces Stand Up competition at The Ha Ha Comedy Club.

In this episode, I have the honor of chatting with producer/development executive/digital media guru/filmmaker Josh Feldman. What happens when someone is equally passionate about both technology and storytelling? You get 2-time Streamys winner Josh Feldman. Josh's credits include: "Halo 4, Forward Unto Dawn," "Electric City," "Larry Crowne," and "Koreatown." His work on the web series "Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn," was viewed over 50 million times. We talk about everything from shooting on 16mm film at Ithaca College to working with Tom Hanks to bringing the Master Chief to a live action format. JOSH FELDMAN'S BIO Josh Feldman has consistently been at the intersection of storytelling and technology. Most recently, he served as Executive Producer on HALO 4: FORWARD UNTO DAWN, helping to package and manage creative development on a five-part live-action digital series for Microsoft and 343 Industries. FORWARD UNTO DAWN represents the most ambitious live-action incarnation of the hugely popular Halo franchise